HITLER AND MUSSOLINI CONFERRING ON PEACE OR MOVE IN THE BALKANS (3/18/40)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 3/18/40 | Camille M. Cianfarra, James MacDonald, Guido Enderis

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Evolution of Plan Yellow, October 1939-January 1940
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939

[Homer_J_Simpson]

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Meeting at Border – 2-4*
The International Situation – 4
Both Sides Attack – 5-6**
Four Warships Hit, Nazi Fliers Assert – 6-7
Italy’s Role in War Seen as Main Issue – 8

* One opinion is that if Signor Mussolini has gone to see Herr Hitler, it means that he sees the possibility of another mediation for peace. . . .There are others, however, who take the opposite view. They think that the Mussolini-Hitler meeting is connected with a far-reaching German-sponsored plan to create a powerful bloc, comprising Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan. The purpose of this bloc, they say, is to prevent the spreading of the war to fronts other than the West.

Compare this speculation of “diplomatic circles” with Shirer’s account of the meeting in the excerpt above.

** One British bomber dived 6,000
feet almost to the water level, be-
teen German planes carried out the
greatest raid of the war against
British soil last evening . . .

Something’s missing there. For once it isn’t Homer’s fault.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/mar40/f18mar40.htm

Hitler meets Mussolini

Monday, March 18, 1940 www.onwar.com

In Occupied Austria... Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Austro-Italian Alps in their first meeting since Munich, 1938. Mussolini says that he is ready to join Germany and its allies in the war against Britain and France “at the decisive hour.”

In London... A new organization is formed to liaise between British and French colonial authorities. Meanwhile, Walt Disney’s new film Pinocchio opens to a warm reception from the critics.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/18.htm

March 18th, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM: London: Walt Disney’s new film Pinocchio opens to a warm reception from the critics.
London: A new organisation is formed to liaise between the British and French colonial authorities.

Destroyer HMS Highlander commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

NETHERLANDS: Submarine HNLMS O-24 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: U-202 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

ITALY: Brennaro: Hitler and Mussolini met today on the railway station on the Austrian border, and set the world speculating on the possibility of a peace plan. Contrary to the speculation, within two hours of discussion, Hitler extracted a promise that Italy would, eventually, come into the war.

Mussolini was the first to arrive, in his armoured train, 30 minutes later Hitler’s train steamed in to a fanfare of trumpets and two national anthems, followed by the Deutschlandlied and the Horst Wessel song. The two dictators exchanged fascist salutes and walked the length of the platform to Mussolini’s saloon car for talks over a small table behind drawn blinds. They were joined later by their foreign ministers, Count Ciano and von Ribbentrop. It is understood that Ciano is strongly opposed to Italian intervention. The atmosphere at the talks was described as cordial.

U.S.A.: Destroyers USS Edison and Ericsson laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

[Homer_J_Simpson]

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 200 March 18, 1940

Mussolini and Hitler meet in the Brenner Pass at the Austrian-Italian border to reaffirm their pact of Steel. Mussolini makes vague promises to enter the war on the side of Germany “at an opportune moment”, believing that Hitler is overoptimistic in his plans for dominance in Europe. Things will move faster than he thinks.

The British and French public and newspapers clamour for explanations for the failure to help Finland in the Winter War. The French government of Édouard Daladier comes under particular criticism for the lack of action in Finland, as well as Poland and on the German border.

German bombers of KG26 bomb and strafe Dutch trawler Protinus off the Dutch coast, near Ijmuiden (the captain and first mate are killed). 10 crewmembers abandon ship in a lifeboat but 2 more die at sea. After 6 days in the open boat, the remaining 8 crew will be rescued by British submarine HMS Unity and landed on the East coast of Scotland.